Heading into the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers had one of the true champagne problems: How should they use their absurdly talented lefthander Julio Urias?

The precocious Urias, who will start Game 4 tonight against the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series was still a teenager then. He didn’t turn 20 until August. There was no doubt he could get Major League hitters out. The head-scratcher though was how to use him but not overuse him, how to develop and strengthen his young arm without breaking it.

There was a rough plan to increase his innings count by about 20-25% each year. That meant a boost to about 100 innings for 2016. But it was always going to be more complicated that that, with the Dodgers brass keeping a close watch on high-stress vs. low-stress innings and factoring in pitch counts as well.

When he takes the mound Wednesday evening, Urias will be pitching his 125th competitive inning, including the 45 innings he threw in April and May at Class AAA Oklahoma City, his 77 innings through 15 starts and three relief appearances for the Dodgers, and the two innings he pitched in relief against the Washington Nationals in the Division Series.

Unless something radical happens, Urias almost certainly won’t have a long night. He has never pitched more than six innings in an outing and the Dodgers allowed him to throw more than 90 pitches just four times.

The plan seems to be working. Urias has been plenty good this year, compiling a 5-2 record and a 3.39 earned run average for the Dodgers. He hasn’t given up a home run since August 10. In September he gave up just three runs over 14 innings.

For the Cubs, who haven’t scored a run since Game 1, the young Urias, starting his first post-season game, is either the perfect opponent, or exactly who they don’t want to face in a two games to one hole.